It’s amazing how your interests and priorities shift as you grow older. Fashion month is passing through Milan as you read this and, believe it or not, I haven’t felt the urge to indulge in my usual swooning over the collections online. It’s not that my love for clothing has faded, it’s just that as I am settling into my new home, the desire to beautify my living space immensely outweighs the urge to adorn myself. I find I could wander for hours in the homeware sections of stores. I never thought such a day would come.
Our places of abode, like our appearance and children, are extensions of ourselves and whether or not we have ever considered homemaking and lifestyle trends as of personal interest, they automatically become pivotal when a space becomes ours. With the advent of social media, too, a well-curated home seems to be as sought after as fashion. It’s like the two go hand-in-hand, even more so now because, apart from clothing, the next thing people notice or in some cases the first, is where you are and what it looks like.
Who knew that one day you could opt for a Dolce and Gabbana by SMEG appliance as opposed to one from Kitchen Aid? Fashion and social media have influenced an even stronger consumption pattern for home and lifestyle items. Even though they moved with their own trends at their own pace, everything seems heightened now. You may think that this is not relatable; think again.
Almost every Guyanese home I have been in has some designated section or cabinet for wares only to be used on special occasions. There are similarities to how we treat and buy housewares with how we treat and buy clothing and retailers are certainly picking up on this in a more and more concentrated way. Almost every fast fashion store, like H&M and Zara for example, carries homeware departments. Popular online retailer ASOS has just recruited an entire team to start designing home goods and ceramics. I even recently saw on online retailer Net-a-Porter, a Gucci chair for dining.
I get it. Human beings spend most of their time either at work or at home, so it is essential that these places are enjoyable and comfortable to be in. They also spend a lot of their time digitally documenting and curating their lives online, so in retrospect such things make sense; it was only a matter of time. However, I am worried that eventually homeware will become just as disposable as fashion. I ponder on the fallout if our consumption patterns become even more reckless because of changing trends and how easily it has become to be influenced into feeling something is ‘no longer you’.
In addition to this, according to Drapers Online, a well-regarded fashion industry analysis website, “We’re in a time when people are unable to move to a new house easily and so to make up for this, the customer is refreshing their interior more regularly. We have a high number of customers in urban areas, lots of whom are likely to be part of Generation Rent. This younger customer is keen to purchase standout rugs, chairs and lighting to personalise and define their rental space.” This is according to a French Connection representative from the retailer’s home team.
The website also went on to state, “Like beauty, a strong home collection allows retailers to strengthen their brand identity in the fight to become a one-stop lifestyle shop for customers.” Although I have my concerns, perhaps this could become a niche market that local boutiques can look to tap into, especially in view of the overly saturated local market for clothing.
